First modern-day stealth aircraft used in combat

Stealth aircraft that could not be seen by enemy radar brought a new dimension to weapon delivery. The first such fighter to be used on operations was the American F-117 Nighthawk, made by Lockheed Martin. It first flew in 1981 and remained classified until November 1988; in all, 64 aircraft were built. The aircraft was first used operationally in the US invasion of Panama in December 1989, when it bombed the Rio Hato airfield. Although the concept of “stealth” aircraft seem a contemporary concept, there are several historical precedents for the F-117. During World War I, the German forces covered several aircraft with transparent plastic subtance called “Cellon” in an attempt to disguise them. Camouflage paint was also used for the same purpose. During World War II, the German air force experimented with covering a Horten Ho 229 fighter bomber with plywood resins mixed with carbon, which it was hoped would absorb radar waves. (Radar provided the most reliable means of detecting aircraft.) The Lockheed A-12, which saw service from 1963 to 1968, had features specifically designed to reduce its radar “signature”. In 1977, the Lockheed Have Blue demonstrator had its maiden flight. This was the first aircraft specifically designed to defeat radar, though it only flew as an experimental model.